Close Your Eyes
by Tara Phoenix
Summary: Fluffy Fluffy fluff.  I just felt like putting something out here.  Little bit of Tallahassee and Little Rock time, with some Columbus in there too.


**Been a while. I do apologize. I missed ya'll.**

**Please enjoy this fluff.  
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><p>"Don't do that to him," Wichita said to Columbus as they watched Tallahassee walk away from the truck. The cowboy's hands were in his pockets, his hat tipped down to hide his face. "Just let him go," she added loosening her grip on her boyfriends arm.<p>

"But I-" he started to argue

"Let him go," she said more firmly.

"My fault," he sighed. Little Rock spat her gum out onto the ground and sighed.

"He will be fine," she said. Tallahassee kept going, walking out into the open and barren field that had once been home to crops. He stopped eventually and took a deep breath crouching down.

There were so few things left in the world that he really cared about. Now one more was gone. "Shit," he sighed.

The kids watched him in silence. "I'll go get him," Little Rock said. Wichita and Columbus waited by the truck as she tromped out to where Tallahassee was. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied coldly.

"We need to go," the girl said softly.

"I know," he muttered standing up.

"I'm really sorry… you know Columbus didn't mean for it," she said. Tallahassee shrugged.

"I know… it's not the little spit fucks fault," he nodded. He took her hand and they moved back to the truck. "Buckle up," he said. The kids piled into the truck and they took off. The car was silent though. There were no debates about Hanna Montana or Willie Nelson. There was just subdued silence.

"Here," Wichita said as they came upon a motel. Tallahassee pulled over and got out of the truck, cocking his gun. The kids followed him, but there were no zombies in the office. He took the keys to two rooms and they walked back out. Tallahassee tossed the keys to room five to Columbus while keeping room four to himself. Wichita handed him a flashlight.

"Night," he said opening the door. Little Rock stayed at his side. Columbus and Wichita cautiously went into their room.

Little Rock sat down on the bed as Tallahassee bolted the door and drew the curtains. Sitting the flashlight on its end so it lit the room. Little Rock kicked off her shoes and sighed. He forced a smile. "Come on," he smiled a little, "time for bed."

"I know," she murmured.

"Why do you look so sad?" he asked. Pulling to covers down so she could crawl in.

"Because you're sad," she replied. He cocked his head a little.

"I'm not sad… I'm just… uh," he fell at a loss.

"You lost your wallet," she said. "I know you're sad." Tallahassee sighed.

"You got me," he shrugged. "But worse things could have happened back there," he added. She settled down and he pulled the covers over her.

"Such as? I know you loved that wallet," she said. Tallahassee drew in a deep breath and let it back out.

"I could have lost you," he said leaning down to peck her on the forehead. "It was just a wallet," he said. "Now get some sleep because tomorrow I am going to need some help hunting some spongy delicious comfort food," he said as he turned off the light.

_"Dad look!" Buck said displaying the mustache of duct tape. His father laughed. _

_ "Lets see you get that off now," he said. The boy peeled the tape off with a wince and rubbed the area under his nose. "Good job," his father winked. Buck laughed._

_ "Lets see you do it!" he exclaimed. _

_ "I can grow a real one," his father said rubbing the bristles under his nose. Buck had lost interest in the mustaches for a moment and returned to the sticky mess on the table._

_ "What now?" he asked._

_ "Here," his dad said helping the boy fold and cut the tape. He watched his son suddenly become very focused and a look of intense concentration came over him. His little tongue stuck out to the side as he worked._

_ "Close your eyes," Buck demanded as he grabbed a sharpie. His father closed his eyes but made it obvious he was peeking. "Hey! No peeking!" Buck giggled. His dad clapped his hands over his eyes. There was a short silence where nothing except the sharpie was heard then it stopped abruptly. "Ready?" Buck said._

_ "Yep," his dad replied._

_ "Are you sure?" the boy asked in a sing song voice._

_ "Yes," his father replied in the same way._

_ "Reeeeeeaaally?" the boy drug out the word._

_ "Reeeeaallly!" his father replied happily._

_ "Ta-daaaa!" Buck said. His dad opened his eyes and looked at the finished wallet, complete with a picture of two stick people and a heart._

_ "I love it," his father replied hugging his son._

Columbus lay awake on the hard hotel mattress. Wichita had been asleep for at least and hour. He just kept replaying the day in his mind.

_"We can make this," Tallahassee said looking ahead. _

_ "Too much of the road has washed away, we should find another path," Columbus said from the passenger seat. He looked at the river along the side of the crumbling turn in the road._

_ "It will add at least three hours until we get to town," Tallahassee shook his head._

_ "Please don't," Columbus murmured already knowing that Tallahassee would do it anyway. Sure enough Tallahassee took his foot off the break and edged the truck ahead. Nearly halfway around the turn their luck ran out and the girls shrieked in the back as the hind wheels fell._

_ "Fuck!" Tallahassee spat._

_ "Holy- oh god!" Columbus panted gripping his seat. Tallahassee hit the gas hard, and mud flew everywhere, though the truck refused to move._

_ "Goddamn it!" Tallahassee rolled his eyes._

_ "I told you," Columbus shook his head._

_ "Shut up," Tallahassee growled. He thought for a moment. "I'm going to get out and push. When I tell you to floor it," He said looking at Columbus who nodded. Tallahassee opened his door as the truck continued to slide and started to move before pausing. "Here," he said tossing Columbus his wallet. "I don't wanna get it muddy."_

_ Tallahassee went to the back, wedged a log under the wheel and pushed as hard as he could as Columbus floored it, freeing the trapped vehicle._

_ Half an hour later they were at a gas station. Tallahassee looked as though he were a pig that had been wallowing. "I'm gonna see if I can get any of this off," he said walking towards the bathroom. _

_ "I'm gonna clean some of the mud off the seat," Wichita replied dryly. He gave her a 'fuck off' look and walked away._

_ "Snacks?" Little Rock asked looking at Columbus._

_ "Sure," he replied grabbing his double barrel and walking with her towards the store. They entered quietly and he scanned around. "Get whatever you want," he said deeming it safe. "And a code red for me. I'll do a Twinkie check."_

_ They both scuttled into the isled, bags rustling as they scavenged delicious junk food. Little Rock was in the midst of filling a plastic sack with Slim Jims when she looked down and saw the dark, yet gleaming wet trail on the floor. It was fresh. "Columbus!" she said in a loud whisper. She looked around urgently trying to find him, but she couldn't see over the isles. "Columbus!" she hissed again._

_ It was too late. The gurgling growl of a zombie rose out of the isles and she turned to run, but found her path blocked. "Columbus!" she shouted as she turned and ran deeper into the little shop._

_ Columbus raised his gun to fire but hesitated not knowing where Little Rock was. "Shit!" He hissed dashing out of the isles towards the register. He was nearly to it when he slipped and landed hard on the floor. He looked up and fired, killing a zombie. Instinctively his hand sank into the pocket of his hoodie to get more shells and reload. The contents of his pockets spilled onto the floor in his haste._

_ "Columbus!" Little Rock screamed again. Tallahassee arrived in time to fire and kill the zombie that was about to grab her._

_ "Move!" he ordered rushing both the kids out of the store. The zombies were starting to swarm from god only knows where. "Start the car!" he shouted at Wichita. Columbus and Little Rock dove into the back seat. Tallahassee grabbed one of the nozzles from the nearest pump and squeezed the handle, letting gas flow into the ground he made a sweep of his arm and made a line of gas on the ground. The zombies were close as he lit his lighter and dropped it. Diving into the passenger seat he barely had time to close the door before Wichita had put the gas pedal on the floor._

_ Little Rock watched in awe as the station exploded behind them. Twenty miles later it was discovered that Tallahassee's wallet was no longer in Columbus's pocket._

Columbus got up and sighed. "Sleep, it's gone. There's no way it made it through the fire," Wichita murmured.

"Sleep," he replied to her and bent over, kissing her forehead. She rolled over and did as he said. Columbus took the keys to the truck and left the room.

Tallahassee was up before the sun the next day, but he woke up alone anyway. Walking outside he found the truck parked a space over from where it had been and he furrowed his brow. He knocked on the door to Columbus and Wichita's room. "Hey, is Little Rock with you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm here," she said opening the door.

"What are you up to?" he asked. She grinned.

"Close your eyes," she said. Tallahassee felt his throat tighten at her words. She said them just the same. He closed his eyes. "Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," he barely managed to get the word out his throat was so clenched up.

"Ta-daa," she said in a soft happy voice. He opened his eyes as he felt something press into his hand. He looked at the duct tape wallet and drew a slow breath before swallowing hard. There were places where new tape covered some melted edges, but inside his picture was safe, and also, joined by a new picture. Columbus, Little Rock, and Wichita had their smiling faces pressed together, right there beside the smiling picture of Buck. Tallahassee hugged Little Rock and looked up to see Columbus looking very tired. He nodded his thanks and Columbus smiled.


End file.
